Changing the Mindset on Injury Prevention

Working with the clients I see for massage and soft tissue work, I try to get across the idea that waiting until we have a ‘problem’ is not the best way to approach looking after ourselves in general and for longevity in sports. On the whole I sure can help with getting through things once they have become a ‘problem’ but wouldn’t it be so much better to a) not wait until something happens to then have to take a step back slightly, treat aggressively and then build back up and b) have more healthy tissues allowing for more efficient movement and ultimately higher performance and better quality of life?!

If looking after the soft tissues, addressing imbalances and ‘stickiness’ in movement is an option to keep us from developing injuries and often recurring injuries, why would we wait?

As a long time athlete myself and particularly an endurance athlete in repetitive one plane movement sports, I can totally attest to being at my healthiest when I had regular sports specific massages. I was able to address the tight spots as they developed and at the same time became more aware of where those areas were so I could become more mindful in my movement and what I needed to do to balance my body in whole body conditioning work. I confess that in the more recent years I have not found the right regular treatment option for myself and although we can all do some things to look after ourselves, it is not as effective and ‘problems’ have started to show! I am writing this whilst I have very recently managed to break a bone in my foot! This, maybe a message to me that I have not looked after myself enough, a hard lesson to learn but one, I feel, many leave until something bears its head before they seek the right treatment for prevention of issues.

So, whilst I am learning my lesson, (all be-it preventable or not), business is as usual and I hope to reach more people to help encourage regular looking after oneself is not something we should skimp on! And that is all year round, on / off season / mid base phase of training etc. Ultimately we move all of the time, muscles / areas of the body get tight, imbalances occur etc and we should all be mindful of how we move and how efficiently we should be able to move!…

‘The most enduring relationship of your life is the one that you have with your body.’ Joanne Elphinston Movement Systems.